Walking the tightrope on gay marriage

Harper got out in front of the gay marriage issue first thing today.

My reading of the situation is that he would allow for a democratic free vote on the issue if - and that is a big if - it were to be brought before Parliament again.

It is unclear if a Harper-led cabinet would reintroduce it, or if he is simply signalling his willingness to consider a private member's bill on the issue should it get to third reading (an unlikely possibility at best).

He would also respect those marriages already legalized and also would support civil unions.

I would like to think he was talking about a private members' bill. If he was, that sounds reasonable to me. If he wasn't, despite the fact that members of all parties (and a significant number of Metro Toronto Liberals, I might add) voted against Bill C-38, I think he would be ill-advised to re-open this debate. In other words, follow the Reagan tack on abortion.

In other related news, it seems that the usual suspects are up to their old tricks (see here and here.) I'd like to ask the militant gay lobby the following two questions:

First, whatever happened to tolerance?

Second, who's got the REAL hidden agenda?